Receptacle-closure device



D. G. JACOBUS.

RECEPTAGLE CLOSIURE DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED .IULY26, I919- Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

J1 IQ/ZL'GZ 62%605115 5140mm $51, A MOW WA D. C. JACOBUS. RECEPTACLE CLOSURE DEVICE.-

APPLICATION man JULY26, 1919.

1,35 7,708. WWW. 2,1920. 4

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

mum x 20/216! ajkca'u/s Suvewlioz $3313 abtozmwl t UNITED STATES DANIEL C. JACOBUS, OF CALDWELL, NEW JERSEY.

RECEPTACLE-CLOSUEE DEVICE.

Application filed. July 26, 1919.

To all 20 7mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL G. Jnoonus, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Caldwell, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Receptacle- Closure Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, generally, to closure devices for refuse receptacles, and particularly to a closure device which may be operated by means of a shovel or like device, thereby leaving the hands of the operator free for other purposes.

Closure devices have heretofore been known and used in which mechanism was provided whereby the person emptying a shovel or other utensil into the receptacle could operate the closure means with his foot or hand. These devices have invariably been much too complicated to permit of their wide adoption and use; and it is an object of this invention to provide a closure means that can be operated by the mere pressure or weight of the shovel or other utensil, leaving the hands and feet of the operator entirely free. In addition, the device is extremely simple in that I have succeeded in eliminating the relatively complicated and numerous parts invariably associated with closure devices known in the prior art.

The invention consists, principally, in a closure device having a cover member or lid formed to fit the receptacle in connection with which it is to be used, the lid having an opening therein and provided with a door for the opening and with means operatively connected to the door and arranged to be engaged and operated by a shovel to move the door to its opened and its closed positions.

The invention will be best understood when described in connection with the ac.- companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan View of a receptacle closure device embodying a preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a View in elevation looking from the left of Fig. 2 of the drawings.

F ig. at is a view in section, taken on the line 4:41 of Fig. 3 and showing the closure member in its closed position.

Fig. 5 is a view corresponding to Fig. 4c

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

Serial No. 313.430.

and showing the closure member in its opened position.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

in the drawings, 1 have shown a suitable lid or cover member 10; preferably formed of sheet metal of a suitably heavy gage and provided with a downwardly extending flange 11 around the periphery thereof, which is adapted to be fitted over the upper and open end of the desired receptacle which may be, for example, an ash can. The lid member 10 is provided with a suitable opening 12 in the central portion, through which the ashes or other material may be emptied into the receptacle. The opening 12 is provided with a door or closure member 13 which, in this case, is shown as mounted to slide in the guides or ways 1 1 carried by the cover member, so that the closure member 13 is adapted to slide in its opened or closed positions. In, order to actuate the closure member 13, 1 provide a pivotally mounted operating member 15 having a hinged connection 16 with the cover member 10 and an operative connection with the cover member through the U-shaped link 17. The operating link 17 is pivoted in a pair of upstanding flanges 18 provided adjacent the opposite lateral edges of the closure member 13, and is attached at its free ends to a pair of flange members 19 carried by the operating member The ends of the operating member are shown as being attached to the flange members 19 on the closure operating member 15 by means of suitable bolt and nut members 20; but it will be clear that other means may be provided for securing this connection, such, for instance, as bending the ends of the operating link 17 inwardly and passing them directly through openings provided for the purpose in the flange members 19.

In order to move the closure member 13 to its opened position, I provide for the placing of a shovel, such as is indicated at 21, against the bottom of the operating member 15 in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The shovel 21 with its contents is then pushed forwardly in such manner as to swing the operating member 15 to the left about its pivotal point 16, and thereby push, through the connection 17 between the operating member 15 and the closure member 13,

7 opened position, the operating member is then in suitable position to form a rest or fulcrum about which the shovel can be tilted to empty its contents into the receptacle through the opening 12 in the lid member 10. I aving emptied the shovel, in order to return the closure member to its closed position, the shovel is then withdrawn and its end allowed to drop into position against the flange 22. The impact of the shovel end against the flange may serve to actuate the operating member and close the door, but it will be clear that additional pressure may be applied, if desired. The engagement of the shovel against the flange will result, as will be clear, in the swinging or rocking of the operating member 15 back to its original position, with a consequent withdrawal of the closure member 13 from the position shown in Fig. 5 to the closed position indicated in Fig. 4. As will be obvious, this has effected the desired function, and the closure member has been brought to its closed position. It will be clear that the operation of bringing the closure member to its closed or covering position can be easily and quickly effected, thus stopping, practically instantly with the dumping of the shovel, the emission of dust from the receptacle, so that the elimination of dust and flying ashes is accomplished by the use of a closure device of the nature described.

The operation of swinging the operating member 15 to its door closing position can also be effected by making use of a weight 23 carried preferably by the outwardly eX- tending end of the flange 22, or by a spring 24: mounted on the hinge 16, as indicated in Fig. 2. The spring and weight may be used jointly or separately, ordispensed with altogether as in the preferred form.

It will be equally clear that the operation of opening and closing the closure member 13 has been brought about without the use of the hands or feet of the operator, thus achieving an important and definite improvement over devices of this general na 'ture heretofore known in this art. It is also evident that, instead of operating the device with a shovel, other means can be used, such as a coal hod, pail or the like, and that whatever means is used, the same ease and simplicity of operation will be retained.

I claim:

1. A receptacle closure device comprising a cover member for the receptacle having an opening therein, a horizontally slidable closure member for the opening in said cover, a shovel rest member pivoted on a horizontal axis at one side of said opening and having a link connection with said slidable closure member whereby pressure of a shovel eX erted on said rest member will tilt said member to shovel-emptying-position overhanging said opening and move the slidable closure member to open position.

2. A receptacle closure device comprising a cover member for the receptacle having an opening therein, a horizontally slidable closure member for the opening in said cover, a shovel rest member pivoted on a horizontal axis at one side of said opening and having a link connection with said slidable closure member whereby pressure of a shovel exerted on said rest member will tilt said member to shovel-emptyingposition overhanging said opening and move the slidable closure member to open position, said rest member being provided with a memberiormed and arranged to be engaged by the shovel to return the slidable closure to closing position.

3. A receptacle closure device comprising a cover member for the receptacle having an opening therein, a slidable door to move over the opening in said cover, a shovel rest member pivotally mounted on said cover member at one side of said opening therein and having a link connection with said door whereby pressure of a shovel exerted on said rest member will tilt said member to shovelemptying-position over-hanging said opening and move the door to open position.

Signed at New York in the county of New York and State of New York this 24th day of July, A.

v DANIEL C. JACOBUS. 

